Apparatus for surface treatment of an elongate object

Abstract

An apparatus ( 1 ) for surface treatment of an elongate object ( 50 ), such as a wire rope, while the apparatus ( 1 ) travels along the object ( 50 ), including a squeegee unit ( 10 ) for applying a deformable material, such as a coating material, comprising: a first and a second opening ( 16, 17 ) which are mutually aligned and through which said elongated object ( 50 ) is able to pass in a longitudinal direction ( 12 ), wherein a squeegee element ( 102 ) is provided between the first and the second opening ( 16, 17 ) defining an opening ( 15 ) which is adapted to the cross sectional shape of the elongated object ( 50 ) to distribute a coating layer by wiping along the surface of the elongated object ( 50 ) passing through said opening ( 15 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for surface treatment of an elongated object comprising:
 a frame; 
 a squeegee unit housing rotatably mounted within the frame having a first and a second opening, the first and second openings being aligned in a longitudinal direction and sized to permit said elongated object to pass through the openings; 
 a first squeegee mounted in the squeegee unit housing between the first and the second opening, defining a squeegee opening having a shape conforming to a cross-sectional shape of the elongated object to distribute a coating layer by wiping along one or more helical protrusions of the elongated object passing through said squeegee opening; 
 a circumferential rigid guiding member rigidly mounted on the squeegee unit housing, longitudinally and radially displaced with respect to the first squeegee, for imparting rotational motion to the squeegee unit housing responsive to longitudinal movement of an elongated object having helical protrusions, 
 wherein the squeegee unit housing is configured to rotate about the elongated object while the frame is moved along the elongated object in a longitudinal direction of the elongated object. 
 
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first squeegee comprises a blade and is removably mounted in the squeegee unit housing. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second squeegee mounted in the squeegee unit housing and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction from the first squeegee, wherein each of said first and second squeegees defines a squeegee opening mutually aligned along the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein a first spacer element is arranged between adjacent ones of the squeegees. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein a second spacer element defines at least one of the first and second opening and is adapted to serve as a guiding sleeve on the elongated object. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said first spacer element and said first squeegee are interconnected by tie rods interspersing the spacer element and the first squeegee to form a solid stack defining the squeegee unit housing. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a cross sectional shape of the squeegee opening corresponds to a multi lobe cross section of a twisted rope. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein subsequent squeegee openings have a multi lobe cross section and are arranged radially displaced to each other to follow the lead of a twisted rope to be treated. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the squeegees are formed from a flexible sheet material comprising one of: metal, rubber, GRP, HDPE, and elastomeric polyurethane. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the squeegee unit housing comprises a first part and a second part adapted to be separable in an axial plane. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a coating unit mounted in front of the squeegee unit housing in a travelling direction along the object to be treated for applying a coating material to the elongated object. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus for surface treatment of an elongated object, comprising:
 a housing having open first and second ends, defining a chamber in communication with the first and second open ends aligned and spaced apart along a longitudinal axis and configured to receive the elongated object therethrough; 
 a first circumferential blade within the chamber, extending inward from the housing and having a scalloped pattern with a first number of concave detents, for receiving and wiping one or more helical protrusions of the elongated object; and 
 a circumferential rigid guiding member within the chamber and rigidly mounted on the housing, having the scalloped pattern, longitudinally and radially displaced with respect to the first circumferential blade, for imparting rotational motion to the housing responsive to longitudinal movement of the elongated object having helical protrusions, 
 wherein the housing is rotatably mounted in a frame to perform rotational motion around the elongated object which the frame is moved along the elongated object in a longitudinal direction. 
 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising a second circumferential blade within the chamber, having a scalloped pattern with the first number of concave detents, and longitudinally and radially displaced with respect to the first circumferential blade, wherein the circumferential rigid guiding member within the chamber is also longitudinally and radially displaced with respect to the second circumferential blade. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the first and second circumferential blades are flexible. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the first circumferential blade has a different diameter from a diameter of the second circumferential blade. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising a spacer element having a scalloped pattern with the first number of concave detents at the first open end.